Mathematical modeling of the convection chamber of a utility boiler : The theory

A model for the simulation of the flow and heat transfer in the convection chamber of a utility boiler is presented. The tube bundles are simulated using the distributed resistance concept, and available correlations are used to compute the pressure drop. Heat balances along the tubes are performed that account for convective heat transfer on both sides of the tubes, radiative transfer on the outer side, and fouling resistance. The solution algorithm fully couples the flow and heat transfer. The model has been parallelized, and a strategy devised to ensure a good load balance is described.